Brand new Hubble images [stunning!]

@ the worm looking thing
I read that its a spiral galaxy, but the light is being bent by another galaxy called Abell 370, making it look stretched

found the link, its google translated so bear with me

translate.google.com... _state0=

Great pics by the way OP, i could get lost in space for ever in those

[edit on 13/9/09 by rumpiraten]

[edit on 13/9/09 by rumpiraten]

Those are some stunning pictures.

I wish I had super sight soo I can see it like it is on those pictures.

N = R* fp ne fl fi fc L
* N = The number of communicative civilizations
* R* = The rate of formation of suitable stars (stars such as our Sun)
* fp = The fraction of those stars with planets. (Current evidence indicates that planetary systems may be common for stars like the Sun.)
* ne = The number of Earth-like worlds per planetary system
* fl = The fraction of those Earth-like planets where life actually develops
* fi = The fraction of life sites where intelligence develops
* fc = The fraction of communicative planets (those on which electromagnetic communications technology develops)
* L = The "lifetime" of communicating civilizations

Frank Drake's own current solution to the Drake Equation estimates 10,000 communicative civilizations in the Milky Way. Dr. Drake, who serves on the SETI League's advisory board, has personally endorsed SETI's planned all-sky survey.

so lets if our own solar system could have 10,000 planets with intelligent life on them, times that by the billion of galaxies out there and you start to realize just how small we really are.

Amazing photos, serbsta, thanks for sharing. Looking at the photos, it is quite awe inspiring out how insignificant we really are in the cosmic scheme of things. What is the earth, but only a speck of dust, at the very fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy rotating around a rather unremarkable star. Who knows what is out there and how many other civilizations and worlds that are similar to ours? It is just minding numbing to rationalize infinity because through those Hubble images and other shots of the Universe, we see infinity before our very eyes. An endless array of galaxies, star systems, planets, black holes, and other cosmic phenomenon. Truly remarkable photos.



[edit on 13-9-2009 by Jakes51]

First thank you so much for sharing these amazing pictures of space.

Secondly these two scriptures came to mind

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made.

King David, Psalms 19:1


And then

Romans 1 19-23

19For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.

20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification]

21Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.

22Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves].

23And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.

All glory to the Grand Creator of the universe. Too bad false religions have generated false and unscientific idea's about the creation of this universe and the earth.



[edit on 13-9-2009 by Blue_Jay33]

Originally posted by serbsta

Originally posted by Wormwood Squirm
Awesome star and flag.

WTH is that worm looking thing in the first pic?

I knew someone would ask, i was asking myself that when i first saw it. First thought says its a photographic error, could be numerous reasons in this respect. I have never seen something that shape captured in space, unless someone can prove me wrong?

Depends on what you mean by photographic error.

From what i can see is that these are extremely long exposure images. If that is the case, looking at the images, it appears as if that galaxy is moving extremely fast. I couldn't even begin to calculate its speed. If it is the galaxy creating that distortion, it would be moving close to light speed. (depending on distance and exposure length)

Either that or it is an extremely small galaxy that is close to the lens.

Either way, my explanations defy popular science, so it must mean that it is an optical anomaly due to a technical fault in the imaging hardware.

Peace.

[edit on 13-9-2009 by beta.services]

Speechless, beautifull. And people think we're alone in this universe, what absolute idiots they must be..

Even though I would like to believe that the 'worm' looking object in the first picture is a galaxy moving at extreme high velocity (I just think that would be cool lol), I'm afraid that it very probably a result of what is called "Gravitational Lensing"

A gravitational lens is formed when the light from a very distant, bright source (such as a quasar) is "bent" around a massive object (such as a cluster of galaxies) between the source object and the observer. The process is known as gravitational lensing, and is one of the predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

The gravity from a massive object (such as a galaxy cluster or black hole) can warp space-time, bending everything in it - including the paths followed by light rays from a bright background source. This alters the time taken for the light to reach an observer, and can both magnify and distort the apparent image of the background source.

Unlike an optical lens, maximum 'bending' occurs closest to, and minimum 'bending' furthest from, the center of a gravitational lens. Consequently, a gravitational lens has no single focal point, but a focal line instead. If the source, massive lensing object, and observer lie in a straight line, the source will appear as a ring behind the massive object. This phenomenon was first mentioned in 1924 by the St. Petersburg physicist Orest Chwolson,[1] and quantified by Albert Einstein in 1936. It is usually referred to in the literature as an Einstein ring, since Chwolson did not concern himself with the flux or radius of the ring image. More commonly, if the lens is slightly misaligned, the source will resemble partial arcs around the lens. The observer may see multiple images of the same source; the number and shape of these depends upon the relative positions of the source, lens, and observer, and the shape of the gravitational well of the lens object.

Here's a picture of gravitational lensing....
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4034d5e6cab4.jpg[/atsimg]


Anyways, these pictures are absolutely stunning, nothing less. We truly are nothing more than a micron-sized pinprick in the vast enormity of this Universe. How anyone can believe that we are alone is beyond logical reasoning in my opinion, as is the prospect that this entire enormous Universe was created just for us to be subservient to a creator and to please his or her whim.



[edit on 13/9/2009 by Kryties]

reply to post by serbsta



STUNNING PICS, thanks for sharing. It is good to see the Hubble back up and taking fabulous pictures once again. The pictures that have come from Hubble have truly changed our perception of our place in space. Just look at all those galaxies and stars, those of which are only in small parts of the visible sky-And some people still think we are the only lifeform in all of the Universe...

S/F...


[edit on 9/13/2009 by jkrog08]

speechless.

(if a one-liner was ever justified, its here)

Originally posted by Kryties
Even though I would like to believe that the 'worm' looking object in the first picture is a galaxy moving at extreme high velocity (I just think that would be cool lol), I'm afraid that it very probably a result of what is called "Gravitational Lensing"

That's not a theory i've heard of before. Doesn't mean much. I have never finished Einstein's book on relativity.

But your image seems to support your theory more than the OP image.

Besides the highlighted distortions in your image, there are several distortions in your image that seem to bend around a central point. (If I am understand the theory and image correctly?)

The OP image anomaly is not spherical in nature, and seems to be the only distortion in the image.

Unless the source of the distortion is moving; and has move greatly during the image exposure; then I cant see how the OP image supports your theory.

No offence, I am not flat out disputing the theory. I would just like clarification on how you see it applying in this case.

[edit on 13-9-2009 by beta.services]

[edit on 13-9-2009 by beta.services]

thank you. those images are stunning!

reply to post by beta.services


I just think I should say this now, I have no absolute proof that it is gravitational lensing but it seems to "fit the bill" so to speak. The oddness of this particular one could be as a result of the multiple galaxies seem beside and around the anomaly that are bending and distorting the light in odd ways because of the number of them. Also, when looking at the image closer , you can make out evidence of other gravitational lensing artifacts as shown here...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/339a093d92f8.jpg[/atsimg]

Like I said, I could be completely wrong but there is enough evidence to support the theory in my opinion.

These are some of the most breathtaking images I have ever seen of space and our universe. It is a comfort to know we are a minuscule part of this. If only we could truly explore these distant reaches.

Words cannot begin to describe how unbelievably beautiful these pictures are...
Absolutely breathtaking! S & F! Thank you so much for sharing these with those of us who cannot begin to dream of such glorious visions.
We are truly lucky to live in such a time.

reply to post by Kryties


I would like to give you the benefit of a doubt for your theory. At lest you have given a credible alternative.

And I agree that that the gravitational lensing theory might explain at least some of the other distorted galaxies in the image. But there would need to be other massively strong, unseen forces between the imaging device and the galaxy to cause the main 'worm' distortion.

And to cause the effect in the shape that is in, there would need to be several strong gravitational sources in relatively close proximity to cause the non circular distortion.

But I'm sorry, I'm not disagreeing. I just cant see it causing an effect on that scale.

Completely and utterly amazing, in the purest sense of the word. Thank you very much for posting this.

On the subject of lensing, is it at all possible that we are actually looking through the center of the universe, and the lensing we see is the result of a giant black hole, or another, unknown massive gravitational anomaly?

[edit on 9/13/2009 by prototism]

reply to post by novacs4me


I have no problem with your beliefs, but how can you be certain that God created these nebula?

Heck, from what I have gathered, even non-earth people believe in a god, but differently than from what your statement supposes.

Remove a little of your mysticism and actually ask God for his opinion on your perspective of the Universe, don't expect a happy answer.

These are beautiful representations of nature, and you only give one being who you don't really talk to the credit, when all of these formations could just be garbage dumps for the universe.

Depressing to think of these nebula as possibly garbage dumps, then again we live in a world where people purposefully inhale toxic fumes because they like to do so. Anything is possible and little surprises me these days.

reply to post by beta.services


Don't be sorry, this is what I like to think of as productive discussion rather than a bitch-fight so to speak

I should also clarify that I am a firm believer in alien life, in the possibility of anomalies out there beyond our comprehension and so on and so forth. I just also like to try to look at these things from a purely logical and scientific point of view - so as to discount that which is hoaxed or wrong to make way for the stuff that is REALLY interesting. Not that this isn't interesting - I think you know what I mean though

reply to post by prototism


Honestly mate, I believe many things are possible that we do not have an understanding of yet, so it is quite possible you are correct. Perhaps someone with a deeper understanding of Gravitational Lensing can come in here and give us their opinion?